One common insecurity many women experience is saggy breasts, but can this be remedied by wearing the constricting underwear known as a bra?
Over the years, there has been different speculation as to whether and to what extent bras prevent the breasts from falling or sagging.
In this article, we’ll be delving into the truth.
Why do breasts sag?
Many factors contribute to breast sagging (breast ptosis), like genetics, age, breast size, pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight gain, and gravity.
Breasts are made of dense glandular tissue and cooper’s ligaments, which hold them to the chest wall.
As women get older, fat replaces glandular tissue, and suspensory ligaments stretch, causing sagging.
Does wearing a bra prevent breasts from sagging?
Do bras prevent breasts from sagging [medium]
Wearing a bra can prevent long-term sagging, especially for women with C-cup bra sizes and above.
If you choose to go braless consistently, it can eventually catch up with you because of the stretching of your cooper’s ligaments (which can be influenced by bra usage).
Joanna Wakefield-Scurr, head of a research group on breast health at Portsmouth University, suggests to The Guardian that bras may help maintain the shape of the breast by lifting it rather than causing it to sag.
Just like restrictive clothing like corsets and shoes can alter the body’s anatomy.
Additionally, circumstantial evidence has shown that in populations where women have never worn bras.
Their breasts tend to sag and elongate, suggesting that inadequate support for skin tissues can cause them to stretch.
Other benefits of wearing bras
If you engage in an active lifestyle like walking, hiking, or working out, not wearing a compression-fit sport bra can affect your posture and back.
Wearing a bra can also relieve physical symptoms that some women with larger breasts may feel because of their weight, such as neck and back stiffness.
Supportive bras are important for maintaining a healthy breast, but they should not be too tight or uncomfortable. Tight bras can cause circulation and cardiovascular issues.
However, nature will take its course, and breasts will sag over time, regardless of shape and size.